The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) collaboratively study central amine metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of psychiatric patients. Results to date indicate that aggression is inversely correlated with CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acidol (5HIAA) and positively correlated with CSF 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG) and cyclic 3', 5'-adenosine monophosphate (c-AMP). Low CSF 5HIAA is also associated with suicidal history. Findings have been largely replicated on two separate populations. Alcoholics have an increased CSF 5HIAA. Disulfiram (Antabuse) appears to lower CSF homovanillic acid (HVA) and appears to increase serum norepinephrine (NE); low CSF dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), low platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO), low plasma amine oxidase (AO) and high red-cell catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) are related to adverse reactions to disulfiram. CSF DBH is inversely related to significant deviations in certain personality measures on the MMPI. Within these populations neither clinical depression nor aggressive behavior is significantly related to alcoholism per se. These patients have also provided control data for other psychiatric diagnostic groups at NIH.